BILL NUMBER: AB 1168	CHAPTERED  10/10/99

	CHAPTER   961
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   OCTOBER 10, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   SEPTEMBER 10, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   SEPTEMBER 8, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   SEPTEMBER 7, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 16, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   JUNE 28, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 28, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MAY 13, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 28, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   APRIL 20, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Frusetta, Cardoza, House, Maldonado,
Oller, and Thomson
   (Coauthor:  Senator Monteith)

                        FEBRUARY 25, 1999

   An act to add Article 1.7 (commencing with Section 7270) to
Chapter 1 of Part 4 of Division 4 of the Food and Agricultural Code,
relating to agriculture, and making an appropriation therefor.

      (Approved by Governor October 10, 1999.  Filed with
Secretary of State October 10, 1999.)

   I am signing Assembly Bill 1168, which creates the Noxious Weed
Management Account and establishes a new local mechanism to address
the eradication of noxious weeds.
   However, I am reducing the appropriation in the bill from $500,000
to $200,000 per year for the 1999-2000, 2000-01, and 2001-02 fiscal
years.
                                                 GRAY DAVIS, Governor


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1168, Frusetta.  Noxious Weeds Management Program.
   Existing law sets forth provisions in the Food and Agricultural
Code relating to weeds and pest seeds.
   This bill would designate the Department of Food and Agriculture
as the lead department in noxious weed management.  The bill would
also create the Noxious Weed Management Account in the Department of
Food and Agriculture Fund, would appropriate $500,000 for each of the
following 3 fiscal years from the General Fund to the account for
the 1999-2000, 2000-01, and 2001-02 fiscal years, for expenditure by
the Secretary of Food and Agriculture, for the purpose of managing
and eradicating noxious weeds through local weed management areas, as
specified.
   The bill would require the department to establish an oversight
committee, with a described membership representation, to monitor the
bill's provisions and would require the department to report on or
before April 1 of each year, to and including the year 2005, to the
Legislature.
   Appropriation:  yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Article 1.7 (commencing with Section 7270) is added to
Chapter 1 of Part 4 of Division 4 of the Food and Agricultural Code,
to read:

      Article 1.7.  Noxious Weeds Management

   7270.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) The destructive impact of invasive and often poisonous noxious
weeds is profound, affecting California's cropland, rangeland,
forest, and parkland.
   (b) These pests cause enormous losses of private, state, and
federal resources through decreased land productivity, degradation of
wildlife habitat, and outright destruction of crops, livestock,
wetlands, waterways, watersheds, and recreational areas.
   (c) These noxious weeds include, but are not limited to, yellow
star thistle, purple loosestrife, leafy spurge, spotted knapweed,
musk thistle, and puncture vine.
   (d) The estimated lost crop productivity caused by noxious weeds
is seven billion four hundred million dollars ($7,400,000,000)
nationwide, a large proportion of which is attributable to
California.  Nationally, the direct and indirect costs of controlling
noxious weeds may be as high as five billion four hundred million
dollars ($5,400,000,000) annually.
   7271.  (a) The Legislature designates the Department of Food and
Agriculture as the lead department in noxious weed management and the
department is responsible for the implementation of this article in
cooperation with the Secretary for Resources.
   (b) There is hereby created in the Department of Food and
Agriculture Fund the Noxious Weed Management Account.
   (c) The sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) is hereby
appropriated for each of the following three fiscal years from the
General Fund to the account for the 1999-2000, 2000-01, and 2001-02
fiscal years, for expenditure by the secretary for purposes of this
article.
   (1) Fifteen percent of moneys in the account shall be made
available toward research on the biology, ecology, or management of
noxious and invasive weeds.
   (2) These research moneys shall be made available to qualified
researchers through a grant program administered by the department.
Proposals shall be evaluated in consultation with the Range
Management Advisory Committee, with emphasis placed on funding of
needs-based, applied and practical research.
   7272.  (a) To be eligible to receive funding from the Noxious Weed
Management Account pursuant to this article, a weed management area,
as defined in subdivision (b), shall be formed in a county or other
geographic area.
   (b) A "weed management area" is a local organization that brings
together all interested landowners, land managers (private, city,
county, state, and federal), special districts, and the public in a
county or other geographical area for the purpose of coordinating and
combining their action and expertise to deal with their common weed
control problems.  The organization shall function under the
authority of a mutually developed memorandum of understanding and
subject to statutory and regulatory requirements.  A weed management
area may be voluntarily governed by a chairperson or a steering
committee.
   (c) Not more than 10 percent of the noxious weed management funds
distributed to weed management areas subject to this section may be
used for meeting, travel, administration, or other overhead costs.
   (d) The secretary may appoint a noxious weed coordinator and a
weed mapping specialist to assist in weed inventory, mapping, and
control strategies.
   (e) Each weed management area within the state shall create a
cost-share plan for the integrated management of noxious weeds within
that area.  The plan shall be submitted to the department for
review, approval, and funding.
   (f) The department shall conduct private and public workshops as
needed to discuss and plan weed management strategy with all
interested and affected local, state and federal agencies, private
landowners, educational institutions, interest groups, and county
agricultural commissioners.
   7273.  (a) The department shall designate and provide staff
support to an oversight committee to monitor this article and shall
consider input from weed management areas and the Range Management
Advisory Committee.
   (b) The membership of the oversight committee shall include an
equitable number of representatives from each of the following
interests:
   (1) Livestock production.
   (2) Agricultural crop protection.
   (3) Forest products industry.
   (4) California Exotic Pest Plant Council.
   (5) Research institutions.
   (6) Wildlife sports groups.
   (7) Environmental groups.
   (8) Resources conservation districts.
   (9) General public.
   7274.  Notwithstanding Section 7550.5 of the Government Code, the
department shall submit to the Legislature an annual report on or
before April 1 of each year, to and including the year 2005,
highlighting the status of its efforts to abate noxious weeds in this
state.
  SEC. 2.  The sum annually appropriated by Section 7272 of the Food
and Agricultural Code shall be deposited in the Noxious Weed
Management Account for purposes of Article 1.7 (commencing with
Section 7270) of Chapter 1 of Part 4 of Division 4 of the Food and
Agricultural Code.
